HunterHunted
by Cassiel16
Summary: The land is plagued with all manner of creatures. Werewolves, trolls, ghouls, vampires to name a few. Isabella is a Hunter, part of an order tasked with slaying these creatures to prevent their infection from spreading. While out on a hunt, she meets Alice, a vampire. A creature that Isabella has spent her entire life training to hunt and kill, and Alice has just saved her life.
1. Chapter 1

**A new one! I think this is going to be a oneshot, y'know? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

 **-Cass**

"Isabella!" I look up in time to see the beast lunge for me. I side-step the attack and bring my silver sword down, separating the werewolf's head from its body. A growl that's more of a roar pulls my attention from the beheaded creature. The alpha werewolf charges at me, his size shaking the ground with every stride. I draw my sword across my body in defense but before he reaches me I hear the tell-tale whistling of crossbow bolts. The creature slams into the ground and skids stopping only inches from me, two bolts protruding from his grotesque head. My companion jogs up to the body, drawing his sword, and inspects it. He carefully removes the bolts before beheading the alpha.

"Did you not use silver?" I ask lightly, wiping the blood and filth from my blade.

"I did, but it is best to be certain. We were paid to kill these creatures, it would do us well to make sure that they are dead, unless you want to repeat what happened last time?" My head snaps up and I feel my lip curl.

"That's enough, Elias. The past is in the past, there's no need to bring up mistakes that have been learned from." A big black stallion canters up to us, his rider almost as impressive in stature as he.

"Of course, Sir Geoffrey." Elias bows his head, arm coming across his chest in salute. I fight the urge to roll my eyes but Geoffrey turns his silver gaze to me anyway, his brows coming together and the corners of his mouth dip down.

"Isabella. You're bleeding." I look down at my torn leathers that are stained with my blood. Elias steps away from me quickly and draws one of his crossbows. I stick my hands up and move away from him.

"It's a scratch, not a bite." I say quickly, gaze flickering between Elias and Geoffrey.

"Elias?" Geoffrey asks calmly and I try to swallow some of my fear. Elias's eyes move to Geoffrey for a second before landing on me again.

"I—I don't know. I didn't see, we got split up." I swallow again.

"It's a scratch, nothing more, I swear!" Geoffrey studies me a moment before dismounting his horse and walking slowly towards me.

"Elias, other side. Crossbow trained on her, if you would be so kind." Elias doesn't respond but does as he's told. Geoffrey takes my sword, dagger, and crossbow from me, leaving me my leather armor, cloak, and belt. "Remove your armor." With shaking hands I remove my leather chest piece, tossing it to the side as Geoffrey inspects the wound. "The blood has clotted so the wound isn't from the alpha. How long have you been hunting?"

"We hunted an entire small pack, sir." My voice is rough and I have to clear it to be heard. "We've been fighting since midnight." Silver eyes flick up to my own before moving back down to my wound again.

"Has Isabella been acting different, Elias."

"No, just a little distracted is all." Elias's voice is flat and his gaze is empty, hardened. Geoffrey hums and moves his hands to my head, the fingers of his right hand grasping my skull almost painfully as the fingers on his left trace over my face. He lifts my upper lip and then pulls down my eyelids, studying both closely, checking for hair loss, reddened gums, elongated teeth, and changes in shape and color of the eyes. Without a word he removes his hands from me and wipes them on his cloak.

"You show no signs of lycanthropy, but I can't be certain if your wound is that of claw or tooth. You know what must be done." Ice spreads through my veins and I immediately turn to face Elias. "You knew that this could happen, all Hunters do. I'm sorry, Isabella, but we can't let you become one of those that we hunt." He mounts his horse and faces me. "Your sacrifice will be remembered. Elias, take care of it." With that Geoffrey urges his horse forward and it's only seconds until they are swallowed by the darkness.

"I'm sorry, Isabella." Elias says quietly behind me and panic floods my system.

"Elias, no, I wasn't bitten!"

"Sir Geoffrey has ordered it." Elias's voice is somber, but his eyes are hard.

"Elias, please."

"I can't risk it. I'd just have to hunt you down later." He raises his crossbow and the hopelessness of the situation hits me, my shoulders sag and I drop my hands.

"Okay, just… not your crossbow. Please, use my sword?" Elias studies me for a moment before lowering his crossbow with a sigh.

"Alright. On your knees, Isabella." I turn away from him and drop to my knees. I hear my sword being unsheathed and Elias's footsteps approaching. "Isabella, you have been bitten by a werewolf. The laws of the land and of the order demand that you be slain lest you spread the infection. Your service with the Hunters will not be forgotten and our brothers and sisters will continue our duty in your name. May your soul rest in peace." I shut my eyes and wait for the blow, I know that I won't feel anything but I'm still scared of the pain. I hear him take in a deep breath and I feel him lift the sword above his head. "I'm sorry." He whispers quietly and I expect there to be nothing, but there's a slight rustle, thud, and snap behind me and after a moment I open my eyes; I'm still in the forest and not paradise as I expected.

"You order types are always so dramatic." A light voice says from behind me and I lunge forward, grabbing my discarded dagger and rolling to my feet. The stranger watches me from the shadows and laughs when I raise my dagger. "So theatrical." It sighs and I glance at Elias, his neck clearly broken.

"Stay back, you have interrupted official Hunter business and you have killed one of us. By law you are to be taken in to the Hunter stronghold and tried for your crime." The stranger laughs, her (as I had assumed) voice light and surprisingly beautiful.

"Ah, and what a fair trial I'm sure it would be."

"You murdered him in cold blood." I say, venom lacing my tone. Elias and I didn't see eye-to-eye all the time, but he was my brother in arms and my hunting partner.

"He was about to murder you. I wouldn't call that cold blood." The woman says, all amusement gone from her voice. "As a matter of fact," she says, her voice lowering almost to a purr, "I think this means that you owe your life to me." The woman steps forward into the moonlight and I almost drop my dagger at the sheer terror that races through me. She clicks her tongue and steadily, predatorily, moves closer. "I can think of a few ways for you to repay me." She smiles and her teeth gleam in the moonlight.

"Stay back, creature!" I say, scrambling for the holy water on my belt.

"Creature? That's awfully rude. The…things you slayed earlier, " she gestures to the dead werewolves with a disgusted look, "are creatures. I, my dear," she presses forward and I move backwards, coating my blade in the holy water, "am a vampire." She isn't even done speaking when she has me pressed up against a tree, dagger knocked out of my hand and holy water forgotten on the ground.

This close, I can see all of her features. Her eyes are a bright, crimson red. Her skin is as pale as the moon itself, almost glowing in the moonlight. Her teeth are white and dripping from the elongated canines. Her hair is short, not touching her shoulders, and set in spikes. The only part about her that isn't intimidating is her height, she is almost a head shorter than I, and yet I am immobilized by fear.

"You owe me." She says darkly, nose brushing my throat and I can't breathe. "And I collect my debts." She runs her tongue from the collar of my tunic to the base of my jaw.

"You," my voice breaks and I have to swallow to speak again," you can't drink from me, creature. I am infected with lycanthropy." The creature pulls away, expression amused.

"I really must insist that you not call me creature. I am nothing like the likes of their kind. If you are going to call me anything, I would prefer it be Alice." She studies me for a moment. "Besides, I would not have gone to the trouble of saving you had you actually been infected. You are no werewolf, dear Isabella. I smell no werewolf taint in you," she inhales deeply, eyes shutting, "and you do smell absolutely _delicious_ , however," she pauses, her blood-red eyes never wavering from my own, "you are indebted to me. And like I said," the creature, Alice, grasps my jaw in one hand and turns my head to the side, her lips brushing my throat, "I collect my debts." She bites down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well then... here you go!**

 **…..enjoy!**

 **-Cass**

There is a sharp pain in my neck and I desperately shove against Alice's shoulders but she doesn't move an inch. My other hand tangles into her hair and pulls roughly, hard enough that were she not a monster her hair would have come out by the roots.

There's an odd pulling sensation before I hear her groan deep in her chest, pushing me harder up against the tree. Her hand that was previously like a vice around my waist is now gently, but firmly, massaging the back of my thigh and moving slowly north. I have to choke back a groan when I feel her tongue swipe hotly across the puncture wounds before she bites me again, her thigh sliding between my own as her hand rests on my ass, massaging it firmly.

When Alice pulls back I'm having a hard time controlling my breathing and I find that my hands that were once trying to push her away had been traitorously pulling her against me. I clear my throat and drop my hands, glancing briefly into Alice's now pitch-black eyes and trying to ignore the heat and need I feel in my core.

Alice licks the remnants of my blood off of her lips (I try to ignore the spike of arousal I feel) with a satisfied grin, her hand untangling from my hair and trailing down my throat, to my breasts with a purposeful brush of her fingers, before settling gently at my hip. She presses her body against me with a hum, swiping her tongue along the two new marks I have on my neck, making my hips jerk against her thigh without my permission. Her answering chuckle hot against my throat.

"If I had known, dear Isabella, that you tasted even better then you smelled, I would not have wasted time with our conversation from earlier." I struggle to swallow and clear my throat once more when she scrapes her elongated canines against my throat. "I would have never imagined that someone could taste so… delicious doesn't do you credit, my dear." I feel a low growl grumbling up from her chest as she trails her tongue down the line of my throat, inhaling deeply. I'm not entirely sure that she isn't going to bite me again and this time drain me dry, but I can't find it in me to care—I'm completely hers to do with as she pleases – but she pulls back, if not a little reluctantly. "I had planned on killing you after I had had my fill but I find myself in a merciful mood so I shall give you a choice: you can die and sate my thirst or you can have the honor of becoming my thrall—to live the rest of your life serving me and only me until the day your short, mortal life ends." She finishes with a smile and the haze of want completely evaporates. I drop my hands from her and try to move away but her grip turns to steel. "Either way, your debt is repaid."

"Mercy? This is your idea of mercy?" I choke out in disbelief. "Death or eternal servitude?" She cocks her head and smiles.

"Technically, it won't be for an eternity. You are only mortal after all." She hums for a moment before briefly looking me up down. "But it would be until you were no longer useful, that is true, and then I will collect the rest of what you owe me." I frown at her amused smile, anger coursing through my veins.

"You and your mercy can go back to the depths of hell from which you crawled, monster. I am no one's slave and I refuse to do your bidding to harm others. You are a demon, a creature born of evil, and I had pledged my life to protecting people from your kind. I will die before serving you or any of your kind!" I bite back teeth bared but Alice only looks disappointed.

"Indeed, pledged your life to those who tried to kill you even though you were not infected. The same people I saved you from if you remember." She steps aside bringing Elias's body back into view and a new wave of anger and sadness with it.

"They did not know, they were just doing what was safe." I lash out angrily and Alice chuckles.

"Perhaps, but they didn't even wait to see, they were just going to cut you down like the dog they thought you were. In any case," she moves quickly, pressing me firmly against the tree, my hands pinned in one of her own, and her cool body pressed fully against my own, "are you sure you want to die? I'm a kind master, you will want for nothing and I can bring you such," she pauses, lightly sucking on my tender neck and slowly grinding her hips against my own causing heat to flare up once more, "pleasure. The likes of which you have not known." I let out a shaky breath and look down into her eyes, the vibrant red almost overtaken by black. Curious and not in my right mind, I blurt out hoarsely.

"Why are your eyes like that? They were red when we first met and then they were black and now they are somewhere in between." The question seems to catch the leech off-guard and allows me to gain some control over myself again, but Alice just hums and continues to slowly rock her hips, making concentrating on her words difficult.

"Hunger," she purrs out the word, teeth nipping at my ear and my eyes slam shut and I bite my cheek to keep from moaning. "Sustenance or for more…carnal desires, the hungrier we are the darker our eyes get, and I am not above admitting that I desire you. You are almost as potent as your blood is." I can't contain the slight groan from escaping my lips and I know that my hips have started to move with hers.

"I will not serve you, I do not wish to." I say, my voice breathy to my own ears, almost a whimper. Alice's low chuckle is almost a growl and she pulls back to look into my eyes, only the barest hint of red left.

"Are you sure, pet? Your body betrays your words, I can smell how much you want me. Your body knows what it wants. As I said, you will want for nothing. In every sense. I," she hooks one of my legs around her waist and I gasp at the added friction, "can make you," I feel one of her hands slide down my torso and stop at my leather breeches as she presses kisses up my jaw towards my ear before she whispers. "Scream." I hadn't even noticed that she had undone my laces before she plunges two fingers inside of me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here be another one! Enjoy guys and thanks for all of the positive feedback and stuff! I really appreciate it!**

 **-Cass**

"Alice," a cold, stern voice snaps drawing me out of unconsciousness, "what are you doing? You can't be bringing her here, she is one of _them_." The venom in the new speakers words surprise me and I decide to keep my eyes shut.

"Oh hush, Rosalie, she won't be a problem." Alice speaks, shifting me on her shoulders. "Her masters were going to have her executed for being a werewolf and I decided that such delicious blood shouldn't go to waste." Alice's voice drops into a sultry purr and the other vampire, Rosalie, scoffs.

"Great, so not only do we have a Hunter on our hands, we have one tainted with mutt. And did you happen to save her from execution by executing her executioners?"

"Don't be so dramatic, I wouldn't have saved her if she had the taint. I know you can smell that she doesn't have it. But to answer your question, yes I did." There's a slight pause and I hear Rosalie shift my way and I hold my breath.

"Indeed, she does not smell of those beasts, but she does smell _good_. Planning on sharing, Alice, before the Hunters come down on all of us for killing one of their kind?" Rosalie's voice drops an octave, a low rumbling in her chest and Alice takes a step away form her, her body vibrating.

"No, I don't. This little Hunter is _mine_." Alice's voice is dangerous. "And they won't come after us, there is no proof that I or any other vampire was there."

"Indeed, and do you plan on feeding or making her into a thrall, little Alice?" Rosalie's voice has gone flat and it sends a chill down my spine.

"I've yet to decide," suddenly I am dropped to the ground and groan when I land awkwardly, "Isabella here will have to wait in my quarters in the meantime." Alice turns towards me and smiles predatorily. "I knew the moment you were conscious, dear, as did my sister here." I glance at Rosalie and I fight to swallow past the lump in my throat. Rosalie, like her sister, was stunning as unhappy as I was to admit both of those things. She stood a good two heads taller than Alice with hair the color of wheat in the afternoon sun and it fell down her back in waves. Her lips bright red, only dulled by the color of her eyes. Blood, luminous red eyes that stood out even more because of her hair and fair complexion.

"How lucky, you get to spend time in her quarters and not the dungeons, as is common for all other prisoners." Rosalie's eyes shift briefly from me to glare at Alice before flitting back and looking me up and down. She takes a step towards me and it takes all of my willpower to not scramble backwards. She crouches, her nose inches from mine, before leaning forward and inhaling deeply. I slam my eyes shut and pray that she will not bite me like her sister had. Before she can get closer, however, a very low growl halts her movements.

"Rosalie. Enough." Alice's voice is low and rough, I open my eyes and find Rosalie staring directly, searchingly at me. I glance over at Alice only to find her lip pulled back and her hands clenched. Rosalie sighs and my eyes snap back to her. She studies me a moment more before pulling away and stepping back and I try to disguise the relieved puff of air that rushes from my chest.

"Relax, dear sister. I'm not going to touch your pet, I have no interest," I sincerely doubt that when her eyes flick back to mine but the blonde vampiress shrugs and walks away, calling out over her shoulder. "Just make sure you take her to see Carlisle before you lock yourselves away in your quarters."

Alice's growling only ceases when Rosalie rounds the corner and is out of sight, but my relief of her absence is short lived when Alice spins and faces me, eyes boring into my own. She takes a couple of quick steps towards me before reaching out and offering a hand to me. Ignoring it completely, I stand on my own and take a step away from her. Smirking, she follows and presses close against me, our fronts almost flush. "So, little Hunter, have you thought about my offer?" I stare dumbly for a moment, my body more focused against where Alice and I touching than her words.

"What?" I choke out, my chest heaving and I can't tear my eyes from Alice's. Alice giggles and slowly drags her hands up my body, with the barest hint of pressure. She stops one hand on my breast, the other gently wraps around my throat and my breath catches. Fear and arousal shoot through my body making my knees weak and I stumble forward and into Alice even more. She takes the opportunity to press our lips together before kissing along my jaw and she stands on the balls of her feet to lean up to my ear. My eyes roll into the back of my head when she takes it gently between her teeth before licking the shell.

"Isabella," her voice is pure sex and I groan into her shoulder my hands pulling at her hips, "will you be mine?" _God yes_ my brain screams at me and when she pulls back I almost agree, but the smirk on her lips pauses me. I shake my head, trying to clear it of Alice's influence when I realize what she is actually asking. With as much strength as I can muster, I shove at Alice and stumble from her, knees still weak. I feel my lips pull back into snarl and my brain clear.

"No, I won't become your _slave_. Go. Fuck. Yourself." Emotion flits across the vampiress's face and if I didn't know any better I would say it was disappointment, but it is quickly replaced by a sultry smile.

"Dear, Isabella, I have. And I would much rather it," she moves closer towards me and I step back until I hit a wall, "be," she steps even closer, only an arm's length away now, "you." She closes in faster than a blink of an eye and has me pressed solidly against the stone wall, mouth pressed against mine hotly. I groan into the kiss before I remember that this is about my life and I attempt to push her away. She doesn't budge but pulls away from the kiss.

"Stop, just stop." I say desperately, all fight leaving me. "Kill me now and get it over with. Let me repay this so called debt and sate your thirst. You gave me the option and said you are kind, prove it. Honor my choice." I pant, begging and Alice just watches me her, face an unreadable mask. I drop my eyes from hers and whisper, "please." Alice drops so that she is standing flat and moves back just enough so that there is space between our bodies, but so that she is still close. She ducks her head, eyes catching and searching mine, her face completely expressionless.

"Why?" her voice is flat and I swallow my fear. Unable to look her in the eyes, I turn my head away.

"I don't want to become some mindless being. A husk moving through life doing only what it is told, having no reason or will to live. Just existing for the sake of existing, not even living." I glance up at her. "Even all the monsters I've hunted were more than just that. So, please, I know that I am at your mercy, I'm just asking, begging, you for this." The fact that I would be at the mercy of vampires, to do their bidding, spread their evil, doesn't even factor into my decision.

Alice grabs my chin and forces me to look at her, face still blank. She watches me for a moment before turning abruptly and walking away. "Come." Is all she says and desperation floods my system.

"Alice! _Please_." She halts mid-stride and glances at me over her shoulder.

"Come, I shall think about your request." With nothing more she starts moving away again and I scramble after her. Thrall or not, I would do what I could to make her happy so that she may grant me my last request.


	4. Chapter 4

**And here we are with chapter 4! I hope you guys enjoy! Thank you for all of the support I've been given for this story, I appreciate it!**

 **-Cass**

I follow Alice, trying to keep up with her brisk pace. We wind through what seems to be miles of stone hallways, a few torches here and there being our only source of dim lighting. It occurs to me that this castle must be huge if we haven't reached a single room yet. Lost in thought, I bump into the back of Alice when she stops. She eyes me with a small smirk before turning to face me fully.

"We've reached the main chamber. You are about to meet our leader and his mate. You say nothing, unless spoken to. You do nothing unless you are told to do something. Do not look them in the eye." Alice's voice is deadly serious and I swallow, managing only to nod. "Great! You do that and you may not die immediately." With that, she turns and shoves thick, heavy wooden doors open. As we enter the great hall from one of the side doors and what I see is impressive, for any Lord, let alone a coven of vampires.

The hall is much better lit than the corridors we took to get here. It almost looks warm with all the torches and sconces that line the walls. In the middle hangs great candled chandelier with four smaller chandeliers boxing it. Walls made of stone reaching to a tall ceiling with intricate stone archways. Heavy wooden tables sit intermittently against the walls with suits of armor and statues of heroic looking figures placed up against the walls between them. The walls are adorned with tapestries, paintings, and various weapons. I glance at the roaring fireplace at the far right of the room, the heat coming from it doing nothing to warm the chill I feel from all of the eyes staring at me and it is only now that I realize that the room is deathly silent.

Alice continues walking and I walk as close to her as I can without stepping on her heels, briefly looking at the guests inside the hall. They are all beautiful, otherworldly so, and they all have crimson eyes. I feel all of the blood drain from my face and I step even closer to Alice, dropping my gaze, ignoring all of the penetrating looks.

I take notice of the dark red runner that leads from the main door leading into the hall to the end of the hall where two large thrones sit. Two thrones that have an occupant each. I swallow and try to keep my breathing quiet when Alice continues leading us ever closer, stopping only when we are three strides away. She drops to one knee and I scramble to follow her lead. She stands only when the man orders her to do so. Shuffling closer to her, I do the same.

"Alice, I see you have brought a guest." I glance at the speaker and his eyes catch mine a moment before I hurriedly look away. "A human guest, a Hunter at that." His voice holds no hostility, just minor curiosity, and I can feel his gaze burning through my body but I don't dare look up. "Why?"

"I was hoping to have her as my own, Carlisle." Alice's voice is quiet and respectful, nothing like the superior, playful, and at times predatorial tone she had used with me and Rosalie.

"But a Hunter, Alice? You know better." Carlisle's voice takes on a tired note and it sounds like he would be pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I know… I was just hoping you would make an exception. This time," Alice pauses, "and for me." Alice's voice drops and she ducks her head. Carlisle scoffs softly before humming.

"Indeed, I'm sure you would. Human. Step forward." It takes me a moment to comprehend what he says but before I can take a step myself Alice nudges me forward and I stumble on shaky legs.

"Sir," I say without meeting his eyes and he breathes out a chuckle.

"Look at me when spoken to, girl." I look into his bright red eyes but I can't hold his gaze for long, my eyes flicking back and forth like a submissive dog's. "What is your name?"

"I-Isabella, sir." I say, having to clear my throat.

"Isabella. Alice's request is quite uncommon. Normally, Hunters are killed without thought and disposed of immediately." His gaze wanders over to Alice before finding me again.

"How did you two meet?" A gentle, light voice asks and my eyes dart to the left. A caramel colored eyebrow raises and I cough unsure if the question was directed at me.

"Esme—"

"Isabella will answer if you don't mind, Alice." Esme says, her voice still gentle but her tone allowing no argument. "Isabella, how did you two meet?"

"I, uh, ma'am, we were—"

"We who, dear?" Esme's face is blank, but there is something about her that causes me to relax just enough for the lump in my throat to disappear.

"My hunting partner, Elias, and I," Esme nods and I take a shuddering breath, "we were hunting a pack of werewolves," I flinch as a wave of hissing and growling erupt behind me, "that had been terrorizing a small village. Our orders were to track them down and eliminate them."

"And Alice?" Carlisle asks and I glance between him and Esme.

"Well, just as we were finishing up, the alpha showed up. We were able to kill him," Carlisle tilts his head a bit but says nothing so I continue, "but I had failed to notice that I was injured until after the fight."

"Show us." Esme lifts her chin and I stare a moment before Alice hisses my name with a glare. With shaking fingers I lift my tunic and turn so that they can see the wound fully. Esme's eyes harden and she glares at Alice. "Have you had your wounds seen to?"

"No, ma'am."

"Alice, at the very least you should have cleaned it out. Especially if you wanted to bring her here to us." Esme's voice is hard.

"I know, Esme, I got distracted."

"We can smell that," Carlisle's voice verges on amused and Esme directs her glare towards him, "but we can also smell no lycanthropy in you, Isabella."

"Elias and Sir Geoffrey didn't listen when I told them that it was a scratch not a bite," I say, anger rising, "they said that they couldn't take any chances, even though I wasn't showing any signs of being bitten. They decided it was better to kill me then and there in the woods than to wait and see." I spit the words out and glance at Alice, "but right before Elias could kill me Alice showed up and saved me." A wave of gratitude towards Alice helps dilute some of the anger I feel towards Sir Geoffrey and the Hunters. "And then she brought me here."

"Ah, Alice, ever the hero. Never could leave a damsel in distress could you?" Carlisle's tone is definitely amused now.

"They were going to kill her, Carlisle, for no other reason other than they didn't want to wait and see if she would turn." Her voice is angry and Carlisle holds up a hand,

"I'm well aware of the situation, Alice." His gaze returns to me briefly before moving back. "And what are you wanting to do with the human?"

"I gave her a choice between being a thrall and death."

"Her choice?"

"Death."

I was expecting a little more than dead silence, maybe not gasps of shock, but more than the deafening silence that followed Alice's statement. The only indication that anyone had heard her was the slight raise of Carlisle's brows. His blood red gaze falls on me once more and I push my hair back nervously, avoiding his eyes. "Death?" His gaze never waivers and I have to make a conscious effort to not wring my hands together.

"She said something about not wanting to do an evil creature's bidding. That having no mind of her own is no way to live." Alice's flippant tone makes anger burn in my stomach and I level a glare at her in time to see her finish rolling her eyes.

"What I said, you obnoxious, conceited _leech_ ," I growl and I can see anger spark in her eyes, "is that living with no mind and reason to live of my own wasn't living at all. And that even all of the monsters I've hunted, the monsters you degrade and hiss at, are more than empty husks doing what they've been ordered. I refuse to become your plaything and lose myself for the sake of your amusement!" I glare, my lips curled into a snarl with Alice's chest grumbling quietly. I refuse to look away from her angry eyes, all of my fear gone replaced by anger. "For all your posturing about how much better vampires are than everyone else, you're not very honorable. You gave me a choice and now you refuse to accept it because it isn't the choice you wanted me to make." I step closer and her lip twitches and her eyes darken. "Don't pretend to be all high and mighty with me, if you were never going to let me go or grant me peace as you said, then you should have just said so." Alice steps up, close enough I can feel the growl vibrating from her and opens her mouth to speak.

"Enough. Both of you." I step away and face Carlisle who is looking at the two of us with interest and amusement. After a moment he sighs, "Alice, if you made the human the offer, you have to honor her choice."

"Carlisle—" he holds up a hand and Alice is silent.

"The human is right, we are better than that and you've done us and all vampires a disservice by acting like a child." Alice hangs her head and I feel victorious until Carlisle's focus moves to me. "Isabella. I offer the same choice that Alice gave you. Death or servitude as a thrall? Think carefully because I will grant you what you want." It doesn't take me long to make my decision and I step forward, head held high and I look Carlisle in the eye when I answer.

"Death." My answer echoes in the hall but Carlisle simply nods his head.

"Granted."

"Carlisle!" Alice's tone takes a pleading edge and he looks sharply at Alice, but Esme places a hand on his arm.

"Your sentence," Carlisle stands followed by Esme, there is rustling behind me and a quick glance shows everyone dropped to one knee. I clumsily follow suit and try not to wince when I slam into the stone. "Your sentence," he repeats, stepping down to me, "shall be carried out in a fortnight. Until then, you shall stay in chambers next to Alice." I give myself whiplash craning my neck up to look at him so quickly.

"What? No! You said—"

"I said I would grant your request," Carlisle growls, eyes hard, and I look away, "and I will. At a time of my choosing. In two weeks' time, you will be brought back before me and the coven and you will be granted death. Maida," he calls over his shoulder and immediately an older woman appears beside his arm, head bowed respectfully, "show Isabella to her room. Alice, with me." He leaves, Alice trailing behind him and I refuse to look her way.

A warm hand on my shoulder shocks me and I jump away, only to find Maida staring at me with empty eyes. My stomach turns when I realize that this woman was what I was refusing to become.

"This way." Her voice is flat and I slowly get up and follow her lead winding through seemingly endless halls, with dread weighing heavier and heavier on my shoulders with every step I take. Carlisle said he would grant me my death, but I couldn't help but feel like I was being punished for my decision.


End file.
